Best bet: Raptors -4 (-110)<\/strong>:<\/strong> The Raptors are 7-20 on the season but they do have a 6-8 home record.<\/p>\n\n\n\nScottie Barnes is questionable despite originally being labelled out for “several weeks” by Shams Charania of ESPN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’m not sure Barnes will be cleared to go tonight, but his availability would have me feeling extra bullish about this pick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After all, Toronto is 5-9 with Barnes and 2-11 without him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I still like the Raptors in this spot with or without Barnes, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brooklyn made a trade last week to send top ball handler Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 18.4 points per game in 33.6 minutes as the Nets’ starting point guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That production is going to be hard to replace as the Nets received no healthy players back from the Warriors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brooklyn is also without Cam Thomas, who leads the Nets in scoring (24.7 PPG).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first game after the trade, the Nets lost by 29 at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over their last seven games overall, the Nets are 1-6 and failed to cover this spread in each of those losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brooklyn started the season strong but is in a huge downward spiral lately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key stat:<\/strong> Toronto is 10-3-1 ATS at home this season, which is the second-best record in the NBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\nQuick pick<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Johnson over 21.5 points (-125):<\/strong> As bad as the recent situation has been for the Nets, it’s been great for Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSince the start of December, the sharpshooting wing is 4-1 against this line, playing 30-plus minutes in four of those five games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first game after the Schroder trade, Johnson was tasked with more offensive responsibility and the result was a career-high 11 made free throws on 13 attempts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He managed to cash this line in that contest against the Cavs despite playing his fewest minutes (27) since Nov. 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Raptors play at a fast pace and own the 11th-worst defensive rating in the NBA so there should be ample opportunity for Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the very least, he’s playing at a high level, averaging 22.4 points, 14.4 field goal attempts and 6.4 free throw attempts over this last five games. All those numbers are well above his season averages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Picks made at 2:23 p.m. on 12\/19\/24.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets meet at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. The pregame narrative: Toronto is a much better team at home, so I’m backing it against the spread over the Nets. I also like a prop pick on the Nets’ Cameron Johnson. Check out my Raptors vs. Nets best bets for Dec. 19. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":315964,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sidebar_plugin_meta_block_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[452,62],"tags":[12],"class_list":["post-315970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-com","category-nba","tag-nba-betting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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